Get certified!
Course Offerings
At CUES, we believe that “a good diver is always learning.” No matter what level of SCUBA instruction you are interested in, CUES has something for you — from Discover Dives to test the waters up through Professional certifications.
As a non-profit, CUES’ courses fund our mission. For every course we teach, a portion of the fee goes towards supporting our work to expand access to the underwater world. Whether this means providing a scholarship for a low-income student, or purchasing equipment for an adaptive diver, when you take a course with CUES, you also support another diver in their training.
Note: All CUES Certification Courses require you to have your own Personal Equipment: scuba-quality mask, fins, snorkel, boots, waterproof timepiece, and surface marker buoy (SMB). All CUES Certification Course prices include eLearning and a Digital Certification Card.
What we offer
Open Water Scuba Diver - $550
The Open Water Scuba Diver course is the foundation. This is where you will learn the fundamental skills and concepts you need to become a certified diver! During this course you will learn about different types of dive equipment, diving sciences, safe diving practices, and the dive environment so that you can start exploring the underwater world.
Once you have completed your eLearning, the Open Water Scuba Diver course is first taught in a confined water environment like a pool where the diving skills are practiced and mastered. Those same skills will then be evaluated over two days in a real world diving environment such as a rock quarry. At the end of your open water training, you will have at least 4 logged dives and be certified to dive to 60 ft with another Open Water-certified dive buddy.
Includes:
eLearning
Confined and open water training
Use of all open water scuba diving equipment (excluding Personal Equipment, as defined above)
Digital Certification Card
Advanced open water Scuba Diver - $250
The Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver course is designed for divers to increase their scuba skills under the instruction of a CUES Instructor. Topics covered include: skills refinement with emphasis on neutral buoyancy, night/limited visibility diving, navigation, and deep dive procedures. At the end of an Advanced Open Water course, you will be certified to dive to 130 feet, broadening your underwater horizons!
The course includes 6 dives conducted over two days in an open water environment after the completion of the eLearning.
Includes:
eLearning
Open water training
Digital Certification Card
Note: This course requires each diver to have their own dive light and dive slate (not included in course price).
Rescue Diver - $300
Rescue and emergency management are vital skills for scuba divers of every level. However, there is simply not enough time in an Open Water Scuba Diver course to cover every eventuality and scenario you will face as a certified diver. The Rescue Diver course therefore expands your diving tool box to include rescue skills - not only for others, but yourself as well! This is quite possibly the most important course you can take as a scuba diver.
The course takes place over two days, after the eLearning has been completed.
Note: First Aid/CPR certification is required for Rescue certification and can be added into the course upon request.
Includes:
eLearning
Confined and open water training
Digital Certification Card
Drysuit diver - $200
Drysuit certification allows you to extend your diving season, stay down longer in cold environments, and do dives that are simply too chilly for even a 7mm or farmer john wetsuit. Lake Michigan's wealth of wreck dives become far more accessible when you can dive in a drysuit!
This course provides training in the use of dry suits, which have unique thermal protection options, controls, and buoyancy characteristics. This course may be offered in one or two sessions after e-learning completion, and may be paired with another course as appropriate.
Note: CUES does not provide drysuit use or rental as part of the course costs, but we are happy to work with you in securing an appropriate suit for your training.
Includes:
eLearning
Open water training
Digital Certification Card
Enriched Air Nitrox - $200
Do you want to extend your bottom time, lessen your surface interval, and maximize every dive? Then it sounds like you want to be an Enriched Air Nitrox Diver!
During this course, you will learn how to choose the proper blend of Nitrox for your dive profile, determine maximum depth limits for your Nitrox mixture, analyze your breathing mixture, and plan and safely execute each dive so that you can safely get the most out of each dive.
Note: This course does not include any diving and is conducted in 1-2 sessions, often over video call, with a brief in-person skills test.
Includes:
eLearning
Classroom Instruction
Digital Certification Card
Master Diver - $295
A Master Diver certification is the highest rank a recreational scuba diver can achieve. This course teaches the Master Diver candidate all the in’s and out’s of gear, environments, and physiology - reviewing and expanding on the basics taught in open water, advanced, and rescue courses ou will leave this course with the knowledge to prepare you for dive leadership. During this course you will conduct 8 dives to a Master Diver level, including limited visibility, deep, navigation, rescue, peak buoyancy and much more!
Includes:
eLearning
8 open water dives
Digital Certification Card
Divemaster - $550
Would you like to lead dives and dive trips and take certified divers on vacations to the world's best dive sites? Then the Dive Master program is your open door into the world of dive leadership!
The CUES Divemaster course will prepare you to lead divers in real-world environments as a professional dive leader.
Includes:
eLearning
Confined and open water dives
Digital Certification Card
Instructor Training Course
CUES is unusual as an educational organization in that we can offer training all the way up through Instructor — and even Instructor Trainer — completely in house! We also offer agency crossovers to instructors certified through another agency who would like to teach with CUES. If you are interested in the CUES Instructor program please reach out to training@divecues.org.
Discover Dive (TRY Scuba) - $90
Interested in scuba diving but unsure if an Open Water Certification is right for you? Then why not give SCUBA a try with us! The Discover Dive gives you a chance to give diving a try in a controlled environment with one of our fantastic diving staff.
Includes:
1 Confined Water Session
Use of all scuba and personal equipment
Refund policy
CUES does not offer refunds for any student that withdraws from a course less than seven (7) days from the scheduled start date. A credit for use in future courses will be given for any unused goods and/or service if the student withdraws less than seven (7) days from the scheduled course start date.
In the event that an event/course needs to be canceled, all reasonable efforts will be made to notify the students at least 3 days in advance. Attempts will be made to reschedule as appropriate. If rescheduling proves impossible, a refund will be offered for services not yet rendered.
There will be no refunds or credit given at any time for goods and/or services rendered, including (but not limited to) activated eLearning codes, class sessions that have already been attended, etc.
Questions?
Read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information, or reach out to training@divecues.org
if you need additional information or help.